John Mascari, a former Indiana State runner, leaves the starting line at the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Mascari finished second in the men's division. Jenna Watson/IndyStar

Jordan Baszner, Windermere, Fla., takes a selfie as he kisses the Yard of Bricks at the track. Kissing the bricks is a tradition for the competitors of the race. Runners take a lap around the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as they compete in the 42nd Annual OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Doug McSchooler/For IndyStar

John Mascari, a former Indiana State runner, talks to the media after finishing second in the men's division of the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Jenna Watson/IndyStar

James Senbeta, Champaign, Ill., competes in the wheelchair division of the race. Runners take a lap around the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as they compete in the 42nd Annual OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Doug McSchooler/For IndyStar

A pack of runners race toward the first turn of the oval at IMS. Runners take a lap around the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as they compete in the 42nd Annual OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Doug McSchooler/For IndyStar

Alice Gary, Indianapolis, volunteers with a group from Citizen's Water, distributing cups of water to the competitors. Runners take a lap around the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as they compete in the 42nd Annual OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Doug McSchooler/For IndyStar

Paul Mugo, and elite runner from Colorado Springs, Colorado, navigates the course as he nears the 8-mile mark. Runners take a lap around the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as they compete in the 42nd Annual OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Doug McSchooler/For IndyStar

Andrea Vinson, Indianapolis, runs through the mist cloud being created by a fan placed along the course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Runners take a lap around the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as they compete in the 42nd Annual OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Doug McSchooler/For IndyStar

Competitors in the wheelchair division race down the front straightaway of the track as they approach the 8-mile mark. Runners take a lap around the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as they compete in the 42nd Annual OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Doug McSchooler/For IndyStar

Jason McReynolds, of Brownsburg, Ind., completes the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon in military gear, in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 5, 2018. McReynolds, a member of the National Guard, wore a shirt to remember his friend Steve "Spanks" Kapanke, a member of the Chicago Police SWAT team who died in March. Jenna Watson/Indy Star

A competitor in the wheelchair division makes their way down the long straightaway of the track. Runners take a lap around the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as they compete in the 42nd Annual OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Doug McSchooler/for IndyStar

Retired racer Al Unser, Jr. offers encouragement to the competitors as they race along the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Runners take a lap around the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as they compete in the 42nd Annual OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Doug McSchooler/for IndyStar

Daniel Mesfun, Flagstaff, Ariz., approaches the 8-mile mark on the course as he runs on the track at IMS. Runners take a lap around the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as they compete in the 42nd Annual OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Doug McSchooler/for IndyStar

Mark Weghorst, Carmel, races toward the 8-mile mark at IMS. Runners take a lap around the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as they compete in the 42nd Annual OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Doug McSchooler/for IndyStar

Alice Gary, Indianapolis, volunteers with a group from Citizen's Water, distributing cups of water to the competitors. Runners take a lap around the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as they compete in the 42nd Annual OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Doug McSchooler/for IndyStar

Robert Buckel, Indianapolis, maintains a big smile as he approaches the 8-mile mark on the course. Runners take a lap around the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as they compete in the 42nd Annual OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Doug McSchooler/for IndyStar

Volunteers distribute cups of water to the competitors as they pass by. Runners take a lap around the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as they compete in the 42nd Annual OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Doug McSchooler/for IndyStar

A runner grabs a cup of water from a volunteer along the course. Runners take a lap around the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as they compete in the 42nd Annual OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Doug McSchooler/for IndyStar

Dressed as Santa Claus, Chet Klene, Bargersville, Ind., races along the course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Runners take a lap around the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as they compete in the 42nd Annual OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Doug McSchooler/for IndyStar

Daniel Taylor, Muncie, Ind., is pushed along the course by Matthew Dewitt, Yorktown, Ind., as they run on the track at IMS. Runners take a lap around the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as they compete in the 42nd Annual OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Doug McSchooler/for IndyStar

Andrew Schuck takes a break on the Yard of Bricks to do a few jumping jacks. Runners take a lap around the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as they compete in the 42nd Annual OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Doug McSchooler/for IndyStar

Ashley Wolski, Indianapolis, right, takes a selfie at the Yard of Bricks. Runners take a lap around the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as they compete in the 42nd Annual OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Doug McSchooler/for IndyStar

Kenny Wickstrom, Gurnee, Ill., left, and Daniel Sturgeon, Lafayette, Ind., pose for a photo at the Yard of Bricks. Runners take a lap around the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as they compete in the 42nd Annual OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Doug McSchooler/for IndyStar

Jeff Curcio, Racine, Wisc., strikes a pose laying on his back at the Yard of Bricks for a selfie. Runners take a lap around the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as they compete in the 42nd Annual OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Doug McSchooler/for IndyStar

Patrick Imasuen, South Holland, Ill., douses himself in water as he approaches the 8-mile mark. Runners take a lap around the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as they compete in the 42nd Annual OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Doug McSchooler/for IndyStar

Competitors take a break from their race for the traditional kissing of the bricks. Runners take a lap around the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as they compete in the 42nd Annual OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Doug McSchooler/for IndyStar

Jenny Morris, New Palestine, Ind., snaps a photo of herself at the Yard of Bricks. Runners take a lap around the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as they compete in the 42nd Annual OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Doug McSchooler/for IndyStar

Skyler Majors, Cicero, Ind., hydrates while navigating the course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Runners take a lap around the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as they compete in the 42nd Annual OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Doug McSchooler/for IndyStar

Meagan Kelly, Boston, Mass., takes a break from her race efforts to kiss the Yard of Bricks at the track. Runners take a lap around the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as they compete in the 42nd Annual OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Doug McSchooler/for IndyStar

Sara Biros, Jeffersonville, Ind., records her experience as she crosses the Yard of Bricks at the track. Runners take a lap around the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as they compete in the 42nd Annual OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Doug McSchooler/for IndyStar

Sheehan Hubbard, left, and Brian Ramey, both of Indianapolis, cross the Yard of Bricks hand-in-hand. Runners take a lap around the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as they compete in the 42nd Annual OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Doug McSchooler/for IndyStar

Jarret Roloff, Carmel, races along the course. Runners take a lap around the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as they compete in the 42nd Annual OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Doug McSchooler/for IndyStar

Kris Hohulin, Peoria, Ill., fills her hands with cups of water as she heads toward the 8-mile mark of the race. Runners take a lap around the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as they compete in the 42nd Annual OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Doug McSchooler/for IndyStar

John Mascari, a former Indiana State runner, leaves the starting line at the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 5, 2018. Mascari finished second in the men's division.(Photo: Jenna Watson/IndyStar)Buy Photo

The former Indiana State runner was second Saturday morning in the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon. That is the highest an American has finished since Andy Herr of Bloomington won the race in 1992.

Daniel Mesfun, a 30-year-old Eritrean, finished first in 1 hour, 3 minutes, 27 seconds. Mascari, in his half-marathon debut, was 41 seconds behind in 1:04:18. That broke the course record by an Indiana runner, set by Stephen Haas of Bloomington with a time of 1:04:20 in 2010.

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Runners leave the starting line at the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 5, 2018.(Photo: Jenna Watson/IndyStar)

“When you finish second, you kind of have that bitter taste in your mouth,” Mascari said. “I want to come back next year and try to win the whole thing.”

He last represented the Sycamores in November 2015 at the NCAA cross-country meet. Thereafter, his body broke down. A pinched nerve in his back caused Mascari to feel numb all along the right side of his body. That led to one surgery, then another.

So call it a career?

“It crossed my mind a few times, maybe this isn’t for me,” he said. “I never once thought I wanted to give it up at all. I’ve come this far, why not give it another shot?”

And he kept hearing the words of John McNichols. The beloved Indiana State coach died in December 2016 at age 66. If there was one person responsible for who Mascari became as a runner, it was McNichols.

“He told me before he passed way, ‘John, you’ve got a long career ahead of you,’ “ Mascari said. “That stuck with me the last year and a half. It’s been difficult. He was going to coach me after Indiana State.”

Mascari has had a breakout spring.

He was third in a 10-mile race on a hilly, snowy course April 7 at Louisville, Ky., in 49:17, or 4:56 per mile. Then he won the 10,000 meters on the track in 29:41.13 a week ago at the Drake Relays – repeating his win from 2014 – and followed that with this half-marathon.

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John Mascari, a former Indiana State runner, talks to the media after finishing second in the men's division of the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 5, 2018. (Photo: Jenna Watson/IndyStar)

He figures his best distance will be the marathon. “The longer, the better,” he said. So he is aiming toward the U.S. Olympic marathon trials, set for Feb. 29, 2020, at Atlanta.

The 42nd annual Mini began in waves in Downtown Indianapolis, circled the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and finished by Military Park. Participation in the half-marathon and 5K races, including walkers and wheelchair racers, was expected to exceed 30,000.

Conditions were nearly ideal, with clear skies and temperature at 56 when elite runners left the start.

Another Terre Haute resident, Eliud Kirui, 42, finished fourth in 1:07:14. Former Purdue runner Caleb Kerr, 24, of Zionsville was sixth in 1:07:52. Former Indiana University and Colorado runner Jordan Kyle, 31, of Indianapolis was seventh in 1:08:00.

The race’s celebrity was Meb Keflezighi, the only man ever to win both the Boston and New York marathons plus an Olympic medal. He was also a four-time NCAA champion for UCLA. He finished 20th in 1:10:59.

“I consider myself retired because I don’t go for the win any more,” he said. “Great day to run.”

Keflezighi had a packed schedule Saturday. It was his birthday, and he had a noon flight to Houston to attend the wedding of his brother, Bemnet. Another brother, Hawi, his agent, lives in Fishers.

The women’s winner was Dayna Pidhoresky, a 31-year-old who represented Canada in the marathon at the 2017 World Championships.